The Weekender #1
Father's Day lunch meets Mediterranean.
Welcome to The Weekender (TW): a new Substack series & casual newsletter to share our thoughts & antics from the more leisurely days of the week. We seek to master just one thing: the art of unwinding and want to share our quest (and random musings along the way) on here.
The Blueprint
I try to approach all things MMTD with a mind of creativity, authenticity & spontaneity. Rather naturally, two icons emerged for this weekend blueprint when I was quickly tossing together a Pinterest board on my lunch break at work. Jacqueline Kennedy and Prince Philip, who dined together at Buckingham in June 1961, stood out: captured in the photos below at leisure while maintaining an air of composure, and of course, classic, clean-cut style.
Jackie cycles in Central Park with son JFK Jr. in a timeless combo of a dark sweater and slim trousers while Prince Philip leans on his Land Rover in a tweed suit, binoculars hanging around his neck. This fusion of off-duty meets original attire is the perfect style inspo for TW.
Mediterranean on the Menu
Two weekends ago was a very busy (and very lovely) one for MMTD. We celebrated Father’s Day with a slight Mediterranean themed lunch, inspired by a Mrs Alice’s tablescape below. I absolutely love blue and yellow paired together as a theme and the smart usage of lemons as decor pieces for celebration. My dad also loves the design, something that kept popping up across Chelsea as we strolled around during our London trip (read more here) a few weeks ago.
For the occasion, I whipped up a light lemon drizzle cake in a loaf style, recipe attached here, as always from BBC Good Food. I tried baking this while watching the Trooping the Colour celebrations until the parade proved to be too much of a distraction while zesting a lemon. The easy drizzle topping and a few extra lemon slices on top made the cake perfectly tangy and I served it while still a little warm, which I definitely recommend.
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Hosting Notes:
Table Setting: A simple white linen table cloth and corresponding napkins, blue Spode plates & tea cups, glass flutes, handwritten simple brown name tags & light blue Neptune candles in two matching silver candelabra. Extra decor - lemons scattered across the table & a few small limes snuck on the cake stand and a wicker basket (lined with linen napkins) of chilled lemon San Pellegrino.
To Eat: Fresh lemon drizzle cake (the lunch’s focal point), two cheeseboards of a variety of crackers, cheeses, berries and grapes along with a few different spreads and chutneys, thick slices of herb and tomato tiger bread & a cake stand with some sweet treats (including top hats, my dad’s favourite. They should really serve them at Ascot).
To Give: I love the feel & sentiment of gifts on the table when you’re enjoying a special meal in celebration of something/someone. It’s the perfect pairing. We presented gifts after lunch, mine was a book I had spotted my father eyeing in Hatchard’s bookshop in Piccadilly - Winston Churchill’s Painting as a Past Time.
To Listen: The perfect playlist to strum gentle in the background while celebrating? Anything Andre Rieu (link). I am especially a fan of his soft ‘Falling in Love’ album.
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Although it’s late (which is unfortunately a little on brand for me), a very happy Father’s Day to the wonderful dads out there. I leave one of my favourite quotes, in relation, below:
“He who has daughters is always a shepherd.” - Thomas Jefferson
Note to Self: Must pair the Mediterranean with my weekends more often.
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A very warm welcome, from me to you, to TW - relaxation done right.
Until next time,
MMTD Founder & Editor